Summary Description

Callinectes sapidus is a decapod crustacean and belongs to the Family Portunidae . It is commonly known as the blue crab. Callinectes sapidus is a crab species that occurs naturally in shallow estuaries along the Atlantic coast of America (Turkay, 2011). Callinectes sapdius supports the world's largest commercial softshell crab fishery, and serves as both predator and prey in many marine and estuarine ecosystems (Seitz, 2005). The body of Callinectes sapidus is bright blue along the frontal area, the chelipeds in particular are brightly coloured, the rest of the body is shaded an olive brown (Hill, 2004). Females are differentiated by their triangular or rounded aprons and red fingers on the chelae (Hill, 2004). The fifth leg is adapted to a paddle-like shape to facilitate swimming (Hill, 2004).